Theodore Roosevelt

Lewis L. Gould

2012 will be the centennial of the presidential election of that year in which Roosevelt was the major third party candidate.

Short but substantive presidential biography by an expert on the presidency and US political history.

Theodore Roosevelt

Lewis L. Gould

Description

Sportsman. Naturalist. Warrior. President. There are so many sides to Theodore Roosevelt that it is easy to overlook one of his most enduring contributions to American public life: the use of fame to fuel his political career.

In this concisely written, enlightening book, presidential historian Lewis L. Gould goes beyond the "bully pulpit" stereotypes to reveal how Roosevelt used his celebrity to change American politics. Based on research gleaned from the personal papers of Roosevelt and his contemporaries, Theodore Roosevelt recaptures its subject's bold activism and irrepressible, larger-than-life personality. Beginning with his privileged childhood in New York City, the narrative traces his election to the New York Assembly, where he quickly rose through the ranks of the Republican Party. It is here that he first applied his shrewd ability to keep himself in the spotlight--a skill that served him well as commander of a volunteer regiment (dubbed "Roosevelt's Rough Riders") in the Spanish-American War. Gould shows how Roosevelt rode a wave of popular acclaim at the war's end, assuming the governorship of New York and serving as president from 1901 to 1909. While covering his major accomplishments as chief executive, including his successes as a trust-buster, labor mediator, and conservationist, Gould explains how fame both sustained and limited Roosevelt when he ran for president in 1912 and opposed Woodrow Wilson's policies during World War I.

Theodore Roosevelt delivers the most insightful look yet at a pioneer of political theater--a man whose vigorous idealism as a champion of democracy serves as a counterpoint to the cynicism of today's political landscape. The book will coincide with the 100th anniversary of Roosevelt's third party run for the Progressive or Bull Moose Party.

Theodore Roosevelt

Lewis L. Gould

Table of Contents

PrefaceTheodore RooseveltNotes Bibliography

Theodore Roosevelt

Lewis L. Gould

Author Information

Lewis L. Gould is Eugene C. Barker Centennial Professor Emeritus in American History at the University of Texas at Austin. His books include The Presidency of Theodore Roosevelt and The William Howard Taft Presidency.

Theodore Roosevelt

Lewis L. Gould

Reviews and Awards

"A sheer and informative profile, satisfying to any general reader wanting an introduction that imparts, as the author promises, a "reliable account of what made Theodore Roosevelt so important in American history."' - Booklist

"Gould gives readers cradle-to-grave coverage of the man who became our 26th president. He uses the theme of fame as the prism for viewing Roosevelt's life, and this works well, as TR spent his adult life drawing the public eye." -Kevin R. Kosar, The Weekly Standard

"This significant biography can be surmised that Roosevelt's life might be divided into three areas: his rise to the White House, the two terms in the White House, which were lively, and achievements in world diplomacy." -San Francisco Book Review

"How do you say anything meaningful in a 73-page comprehensive biography of one of the most complex figures in American history? Here's how... Gould's book is a quite worthy addition to the ever-expanding canon on Roosevelt."--Lawyers, Guns, and Money

Theodore Roosevelt

Lewis L. Gould

From Our Blog

By Lewis L. Gould Theodore Roosevelt became President of the United States upon the death of William McKinley in the early morning of 14 September 1901. An assassin had fatally wounded McKinley eight days earlier. Vice President Roosevelt took the presidential oath at a friend's home in Buffalo, New York, hurried to Washington for a brief Cabinet meeting.

By Lewis L. Gould When President Obama invoked the name of 'Teddy' Roosevelt in his speech at Osawatomie, Kansas, in December, he seemed on safe ground in referring to his predecessor by that familiar nickname. In the world of the talking head and the political pro, everyone knows that Theodore Roosevelt was called 'Teddy' by one and all. What better way to establish credentials as a keeper of the presidential heritage than to refer to 'Teddy'?

By Matthew Flinders From Canada to Australia -- and all points in between -- something has gone wrong. A gap has emerged between the governors and the governed. A large dose of scepticism about the promises and motives of politicians is an important and healthy part of any democracy, but it would appear that healthy pessimism has mutated into a more pathological form of corrosive cynicism.